Tales to Decrypt: Advertising Lessons from Scary Movies

This blog was a collaboration by Jacquie Kostuk, Director, Creative Strategy & Mike Furlong, Copywriter. 

It’s spooky season, and employees’ watchlists have led to advertising inspiration from a series of unlikely sources: Horror Films.

Yes, the horror genre has exploded into the mainstream thanks to features like Hereditary (2018), but have you realized how the narratives, productions, characters and editing can inform what we Ad People create?

Lesson 1: Killer Ideas Don’t Need Big Budgets to Win.

Paranormal Activity may be the most iconic example of low budget to big deal. It released in 2007 and was originally made for $15K US; it grossed $194M US. To be fair, Blum House did add a new ending for $215K US, but it cost $2.6M for the average 30s Super Bowl spot that year (and we’re not sure those clients saw the same profits).

It took a paranormal phenomenon plot and chose to lean into a found-footage execution to make the most of limited production dollars. It wasn’t low quality videography but instead part of the story arc.

So What?

Ask yourself: Does the idea only work with 10+ talent? A bunch of CGI? Or that one mainstream radio hit? It probably could be done well another way. Just reimagine execution around the budget. It means you’ve got to be flexible with production and the exact execution, but a scalable idea will adapt.

Lesson 2: Challenge the 5 Senses

Arguably all horror movies can do this to a certain extent, but Hush (2016) made the story richer by telling the narrative predominantly from the perspective of the deaf protagonist. The emotional tension increases when she doesn’t hear a violent intruder on her remote property. The strategic loss, or muffling of sound, increases the impact of the story for viewers.

A Quiet Place (2018) does this on a much grander scale; where to avoid the detection of the monsters (aliens with unbelievable hearing), a family, and humanity as a whole, must stay silent. The manipulation of the films volume practically created a similar tension with theatre audiences; every bite of popcorn or candy and every sip of soda was heard because it was so deathly quiet.

This extends to visuals. For example, your budget doesn’t have room for a well-done CGI creature or a bespoke puppet (advertisers have the same executional challenges), so instead, you lean into what you can’t see to evoke a stronger emotional response. Take The Witch (2015), you rarely spot the witch coven or Black Philip’s true form (whether goat or man), but because of this, you have a heightened sense of the protagonist’s psychological state. Or how The Mist (2007) uses a natural phenomenon (hence the title) to play upon both the audience and characters’ sight to conceal the monsters and progress the story. Weather could be a character in your spot; one that distracts from what the production couldn’t afford while supporting the narrative arc.

So What?

You can choose to dial sound or visuals up or down to generate more resonance for the message you’re trying to land because consumers expect ads to follow formulaic conventions. You can even explore the lesser used touch, taste or smell, if the medium permits for a more thought-provoking consumer experience.

Lesson 3: Pursue Virality by Bucking (Advertising) Norms

The horror movie that made waves by positioning itself as a real documentary and changed movie marketing forever was the Blair Witch Project (1999).  It was promoted as the camcorder footage of a group of college students that disappeared in the Maryland Woods in 1994 with a movie website that people passed along. The cast used their real names and were listed as dead or missing online to further the “real or not” speculation. Interns were deployed to local gathering places to share the legend through word-of-mouth. Interviews of those that “knew” what really happened were done with appropriate outlets. It created a massive impact, even if you don’t like the horror genre, you’ve likely heard of this movie.

So What?

Yes, the internet is now much bigger and it’s easier to fact check however, using new media, channels, and technologies in your advertising before they go mainstream is a worthwhile technique. Dip your executional toes into innovative mediums, like be the first to put the latest smartphone feature to use in a big way. Test many affordable smaller innovative channels in conjunction with your tried-and-true plan.

Lesson 4: Consumers Love a Character

A memorable persona has undying staying power, especially in a horror franchise. They’re essentially a brand asset that lives beyond the spot or the stunt.  Even if you’ve never seen the film, you know Jason (Friday the 13^th, 1980), Freddy (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984), or Michael Meyers (Halloween, 1978) – your local Spirit Halloween will remind you of countless others. So, consider a character as part of your brand creative, one that can comeback in the sequels (i.e. future campaigns).

Your campaign’s protagonist doesn’t even really need to be talent to develop an intriguing character if usage rights, multiple languages or renewal fees are a concern. An inanimate object can be made interesting, just look at Oculus (2013); the villain is a large, foreboding mirror. A mirror that toys with the main character’s minds (and ours) and manipulates your experiences. Physical items can play a role in your work with a positive or negative bent.

So What?

Give consumers a person (or a thing) they can latch onto as the creative solution to your next brief. A character with a look, a personality or a bit of both can be present campaign-to-campaign to stick in your target’s mind.

Lesson 5: Scores with Emotional Resonance

The audio design in any horror movies plays an integral role in making it scary. Anxiety, terror, fear, dread and more rely on music, sound design and SFX. This could be a part B to Lesson 2, but as sound plays a larger role in video (esp. Shorts and TikTok), podcasts and online radio, it’s worth the extra attention.

For example, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) uses SFX, ambient noise and music together to stir your feelings into a frenzy. For example, the whir of the chainsaw or the chugging of the generator blend seamlessly with the score, that’s then punctuated by dialogue. Your ears are always experiencing anxiety of the noise so when there is silence, you’re worried. How do sounds amplify your ads? (Fair warning: this movie is gory but if you’re okay with that, it’s back in theatres for its 50^th).

The classic horror movies are all great case studies of enviable sound design, put here we’ll give a nod to the film that helped shape the genre: Psycho (1960). It contains most of the lessons listed above, but the orchestral score emphasized the on-screen actions. Think of the shower scene. Think of the knife. Can you hear the audio sting of the strings? It’s like an audio mnemonic for the movie, an easily attributable identifier.

So What?

Be considerate about the sounds and music you choose to incorporate into your work. Don’t let it be an afterthought. Seek to develop sonic branding when you have the opportunity; so, you can engage not just the eyes but the ears of your target.

Now dim the lights, light the black candles, and grab some snacks; here’s a Halloween and Horror Watchlist (plus those shared above) as a reminder that inspiration comes from anywhere:

– Caveat (2020)

– Oddity (2024)

– Long Legs (2024)

– REC (2007) It’s in Spanish, just a heads up.

– Sinister (2012)

– The Exorcist III (1990) You’ve probably seen the original and this one’s more a thriller detective mystery with supernatural elements.

– The Evil Dead (1981)

– Trick ‘R Treat (2007)

– Mad God (2021) Impressive stop-motion nightmare fuel that took over 30 years to create.

– Dead & Buried (1981)

– Suspiria (1977 and the 2018 remake)